Maybe
by Blue Hue Pirate
Summary: After everything, how could an illness defeat Jasmine.


**Maybe**

-

The air in the Palace was icy cold, seemingly reflecting the somewhat distant atmosphere in the air. If you looked a little closer, it was pure –pure sadness, grief and anger. This didn't seem right to anyone, that after everything she'd done for Deltora, for the land, the people, the animals –that they couldn't ((and wouldn't)) get the chance to repay her.

"After everything, how could an _illness _defeat Jasmine," Lief whispered to himself, more of a statement than a question. It was desperate, pleading –but he'd gotten used to it, used to asking _why_. And there were never any answers.

The stone floor perfectly matched the temperature of the air, raw and questioning. The sound of footsteps entered the room, and Lief looked up from where he had been kneeling.

"Marilen," he breathed. "Ranesh."

"I—I am sorry for your loss, Lief," spoke Marilen softly, and indeed she did look apologetic, and somewhat awkward. "It is always hard to lose someone." Lief knew she was thinking of her father, and his own moving on.

"Jasmine was... a good person," put in Ranesh, looking, if possible, even more uncomfortable than Marilen. "And I do not say that because she has passed. I have always found people tiresome for praising the dead simply for being dead."

_Dead_. The word swam past Lief, encompassed him in fear and loss, and he felt a wave of dizziness overtaking him. But then he was looking up into Ranesh's concerned eyes, and he forced a smile onto his face. "Thank you, Marilen, and you too, Ranesh. I... thank you."

Marilen and Ranesh exchanged a glance, and the dull irritancy Lief would usually have felt was replaced by a vague sense of expectance. Marilen looked simply sad, while Ranesh's face was ((uncharacteristically)) gentle. "Lief, are you—"

And then Doom was standing in the doorway, baby Anna in his arms, and Lief grew relieved at their timing. "Greetings Doom."

"Lief." The grim man nodded his head towards him, then at the other two figures in the room. Lief's eyes flickered towards Anna, then away, shamefully, and Marilen stepped forward to relieve her from Doom. "Endon and Jarred are with Sharn."

Lief nodded, as Anna raised a tiny fist to Marilen's hair. As she gave a tug on it, Marilen let out a tiny gasp of pain, trying to dismantle Anna's hand from her hair. Anna's wailing voice echoed through the room, and Marilen gave an embarrassed smile, walking with Anna from the room. Ranesh followed close to her heels, and Anna's cries faded.

"I feel as though I should be spending more time with her," Lief confessed more quietly. "Anna, and Jarred and Endon, too."

Doom gave a sigh. "Maybe you should."

Lief's head turned sharply towards the older man. For whatever reason, he had not been expecting this response. "I... I—yes, perhaps."

"She _is _your daughter, Lief." Doom's voice was casually disinterested, his face turned away. "And, though I don't suppose you care, your next-of-kin. How will she understand the ways of the Belt if she is taught it by someone other than yourself?"

"There were other people besides I retrieving the Belt... Barda... J—Jasmine, _yourself _for a great part of the journey... and the Resistance! Indeed, I did not even contribute the most."

"I do not think it prudent to be having this conversation here." Doom sounded sharp, and his head gave a jerk towards besides Lief.

He was instantly reminded of Jasmine –no, Jasmine's _body_—lying stone cold beside him. He blindly reached for her hand –_its _hand--, his eyes overflowing with tears. She was cold and hard, but she still smelled of his wife. Lief bit his lip and bowed his head, in an attempt to shield Doom from his feelings. One could only _imagine _what Kree and Filli were going through right now, but they had disappeared from the castle. Whether or not they would be back, Lief could only guess at.

"I agree, and apologise for my thoughtlessness." Even to himself, Lief's voice sounded choked and muffled.

There was a pause in the air, not as silent as before, but still prominent. Lief felt almost panicked –he was the _King_, he should know what to say!—but this was Doom. Doom who he'd known since he was just sixteen years, Doom who lived with him in the castle. Jasmine's father and Anna, Endon and Jarred's grandfather. The inspiration himself of Jarred's own name.

And then Doom was crossing the room, in long, sharp strides, and pulled him to his feet. He was pulling Lief into a rough embrace, then stepping back, looking almost –embarrassed? But his head was bowed, and Lief could see his eyes, usually hard and cold and raw, and they... _weren't. _They were sad, desperate, lonely... but not cold.

"Well, ah, I believe it would be best if I was off," said Doom, stepping away, the grim expression settling itself back onto his face. "Sharn is probably tearing her hair apart with Jarred and Endon. I can only imagine what those two will be like when they're older; they're already worse than you were at sixteen."

Lief smiled faintly. "Well then, I suppose you better be going. Will you be at dinner?"

"Will you?" shot back Doom, folding his arms. Lief gave a tiny shrug, and he raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, if you find fit to come, I may see you there."

Lief stared at his retreating figure. As though Doom could feel Lief's eyes burning upon his back, he turned. "What?"

"Thank you."


End file.
